Lead-ring.



F. P. WILLIAMS.

LEAD RING.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 17, 1910.

1,017,030. Patented Feb. 13; 1912.

Inventor Attorneys FRANK P. WILLIAMS, OF BURLINGTON, KANSAS.

LEAD-RING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Application filed November 17, 1910. Serial No. 592,912.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK P. lVILLrAMs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Burlington, in the county of Coffey and State of Kansas,have invented a new and useful Lead-Ring, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved devicefor leading animals.

The invention aims primarily to provide a device for leading animals,embodying jaw members designed to grip the cartilage of the animalsnose.

Incidentally, the invention aims to provide a device for the purposestated adapted to be readily and quickly applied and disconnected.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this classso constructed that when the jaws are closed, they will be held in suchposition and-the lead strap which is to be connected to the device maybe grasped for the purpose of leading the animal, it being unnecessaryto pay any further attention to the device itself until it is desired todisconnect the same.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of thedevice embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view onthe line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 33 Fig. 1.

In the drawing the numeral 5 indicates a head to the ends of which arepivoted arms 6 and 7. At their free ends, each of the arms 6 and 7 isformed with a substantially semi-circular gripping jaw 8 the extremitiesof these jaws being formed with spherical enlargements 9 which contactwith the cartilage of the animals nose and owing to their sphericalform, grip the cartilage without injuring the same or causing pain. Arod 10 is slidably fitted through the head 5 and pivoted to the end ofthis rod which projects between the arms 6 and 7 are links 11, therebeing two pairs of such links, one pair connecting the said end of therod and the arm 6 and the other pair connecting the said end of the rodand the arm 7. Swiveled to the rod 10 at its opposite end as at 12 is aring 13 which may be grasped or to which may be connected a lead strap,

as may be desired. At this point it will be readily understood that bysliding the rod 10 in the direction of the free ends of the arms 6 and 7the corresponding ends of the links 11 will be spread thereby swingingthe arms, upon their pivots, away from each other and opening the jaws8. Also it will be understood that by sliding the rod 10 in the oppositedirection, the arms 6 and 7 will be swung toward each other to close thejaws 8 or in other Words to bring them to substantially the positionshown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

In the side which opposes the arm 6, the arm 7 is formed with alengthwise extending groove 14 and slidably fitted in this groove is alatch rod 15 having at its end adjacent the ring carrying end of the rod10 a finger piece 16 which may be grasped for the purpose of retractingthe latch rod against the tension of a spring 17 arranged thereon andhearing at one end against a lug 18 integral with the arm 7 and at itsopposite against a strap pin 19 carried by the said latch rod. It willbe understood from the foregoing that the spring 17 normally holds thelatch rod substantially in the position shown in Fig. l of the drawingin which position its end opposite its end which carries the fingerpiece 16, will be presented toward and but slightly spaced from that endwall of the groove 14 adjacent the free end of the arm 7. This end ofthe latch rod is beveled as indicated by the numeral 20. The movement ofthe latch rod in the direction stated, is limited by the abutment of thepin 19 against a closed portion 21 of the groove. The arm 6 carries akeeper for the latch rod which keeper includes a shank 22 preferablyintegral with the arm and a head 23 formed at the outer end of theshank. This head has a recess 241 in its under side for the reception ofthe beveled end 20 of the latch rod when the arms 6 and 7 are in theposition shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be readilyunderstood that, the elements of the device being in the potion shown inFig. 1 of the drawing, the latch rod 15 may be drawn toward the ringcarrying end of the rod 10 against the ten sion of the spring 17 todisengage its beveled end from the recess in the keeper head 23. Thearms 6 and 7 may then be separated by sliding the rod 10 in thedirection of the jaw carrying ends of the arms 6 and 7. The device isthen disposed with the jaws 8 projecting into the nostrils of the animalto be led and the rod 10 is then moved in a direction opposite to thatjust stated so as to swing the arms 6 and 7 toward each other and closethe jaws 8. When thus closed, the spherical ends 9 of the jaws will besufficiently spaced to receive between them the thinner portion of thewall of cartilage between the animals nostrils, but not to such degreeas to permit of passage between them of the thicker outer portion ofthis wall. Also, when the arms are in the position stated, the beveledend of the latch rod will be in engagement with the keeper carried bythe arms 6 and the arms and their relative jaws will be held againstseparation. The device being thus applied, the ring 13 may be gripped ora strap may be connected to this ring for the purpose of leading theanimal.

Whatis claimed is The combination with two pivoted jaws of a lead ring,one of said jaws having a shouldered portion and the other a shankprovided with a recessed outer end, said shank when the jaws are towardeach other abutting the shouldered portion, of a slidingly mounted rodcarried by the jaw having the shouldered portion and having a finger pinupon its free end and its inner end disposed to seat within the recessof the shank, and a spring upon the rod for holding the rod and shank sothat its lock engaging end will seat within the recessed portion of theshank and hold the jaws in closed and spaced relation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK P. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses Jon ROLSTON, RALPH A. Woonronn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

